Mickey Rooney's family fighting over his will

It's a good thing dead celebrities aren't alive anymore to watch their families fight over their money.

Wow -- that sounded kind of insensitive.

Anyway, Mickey Rooney's kids have filed suit in Los Angeles in an attempt to invalidate his will, saying the legendary actor faced "undue influence" when he signed it just weeks before his death, according to People.com.

Sounds like they didn't have time to wield their own undue influence.

His biological children are not named as beneficiaries of his estate, now valued at $18,000 but potentially worth considerably more in the future from licensing rights and memorabilia, including an Oscar.

The beneficiary is Mark Aber, Rooney's stepson and caretaker in his final days. Rooney died April 6 at age 93.

The May 7 filing, by seven of his eight surviving children, alleges Aber and the estate's current executor, attorney Michael Augustine -- Rooney's court-appointed conservator in the last years of his life -- took "advantage" of him.

Rooney's offspring say Aber and Augustine "suggested and dictated the contents of the (will)" and "arranged for the execution of the document" at a time when Rooney was "wholly under the influence" of the two men.

Richard Petty, who is representing attorney Michael Augustine, said, "We think the contest is utterly without merit and that there is no truth at all to any of the allegations in the children's contest."

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And because one lawsuit in cases like this is never enough, Rooney's estranged wife, Jan Rooney, is also contesting the will, saying it "blatantly misquotes the terms of the settlement agreements (previously) reached between Janice Rooney and Mickey Rooney."

"What the will tried to say is that Jan had given up of her rights to Mickey's estate through these agreements," said Jan's attorney, Eugene Belous. "And that is just not the case. In financial terms, this estate is virtually nothing."

"But Jan and Mickey were married for almost four decades," the lawyer continued. "This estate is made up almost completely of community property and Jan has one half interest in that. There are future royalty rights and likeness rights that might produce revenue over time. And there is memorabilia -- an Oscar, a couple of Emmys, a lot of stuff Mickey collected over the years."

This is why my family has a policy of dying with no money. It keeps the rest of us from arguing.

Rooney addressed the issue of likeness rights with People magazine in a 1999 interview. Asked how he would feel regarding use of his image for commercial purposes after his death, Rooney responded: "They'd have to get Jan's approval. I'd give her the approval."